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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 19, 1982
PAGE 8
Those who could have been conspiring to "take over" the Church have
accused Mr. �kach of that very thing, but you will notice that he is still
in his position. Jesus said we shall know them "by their fruits." And as
His instrument, thus I evaluate. They accused others in supervision over
the ministry used the office to try to take over the whole Work, implying
the accusation without basis that Mr. Tkach was trying to do the same thing.
He is still IN--they are out.
Mr. Tkach is supervisor or director over MINISTERIAL SERVICES. He is
there as a SERVANT! A servant under WHOM? Under you ministers to serve
YOU? NO!
A servant under me, as I am a servant under Christ. I serve
Christ
as
His instrument whom He uses. Mr. Tkach serves me as my instrument
in directing you whom I use.
Mr. Raymond McNair is Deputy Chancellor of Ambassador College, admin
istering the College UNDER and FOR me, as I administer it and the whole Work
UNDER and FOR Christ as His instrument. aut I do leave most of the adminis
tration of the College in Mr. McNair's hands, just as I leave most of the
administration of the ministry in Joseph Tkach's hands. But Mr. McNair is
NOT free to CHANGE POLICIES, or initiate his own new ideas or policies. He
is on th� job to administer MY policies and directions, as I am an instru
ment CHRIST uses in SETTING and DETERMINING the policies of the whole Work
and the direction it shall take.
Am I IN AUTHORITY over the Church and the Work? As long as I faith
fully and loyally carry out CHRIST'S will--HIS policies and directions-
yes. So Mr. Tkach is in authority over you ministers as MY SERVANT, carry
ing out MY orders and policies, as I carry out CHRIST'
s,
and as Christ
carries out those of GOD the Father who is the HEAD of Christ! So it is a
CHAIN of authority, starting with God the Father!
WHY should so many be confused about this? Bob Rice is janitor in the
Hall of Administration, and the ONLY one over the executive fourth floor
because we have confidence in hisINTEGRITY. But he has no authority to set
executive policies enacted from the executive office.
His brother Richard Rice is director of the
very
prestigious and
im
portant Mail Processing Department. But he administers it FOR and UNDER
me, as I administer the WHOLE Work for and under Christ as HIS INSTRUMENT!
Perhaps much of the MISunderstanding has come from the fact that there
have been men in supervision over the ministry who made themselves sole
boss. One, in 1974, in collusion with another high officer at headquarters
and a number of field ministers, conspired to TAKE OVER the WHOLE CHURCH.
Another, as Executive Vice President, shut off everybody over him, virtu
ally making himself head of the whole Work, while JESUS CHRIST was then, and
still is, HEAD of the whole Work.
The trouble comes when one in a subordinate office tries to SHUT OFF
all authority over him. A local minister can try to do this, and "TAKE
OVER" his local church, stealing it for himself, setting up by and through
it his own work. Some years ago a managing editor of The PLAIN TRUTH wanted
to make it a "spinoff"--a separate "business" of his own. But he was above
board about it in that he proposed it to us, under terms of which the Church
would pay all the finances but he would do all the spending.